Collinsonia or Stoneroot - Homeopathic Choice for Hemorrhoid Relief

The plant Collinsonia, also known as stoneroot, was named in honor of Peter Collinson, an 18th-century Quaker philanthropist and a friend of Benjamin Franklin. Collinson was devoted to the study of New World plants, bringing them to the relatively more modern scientific facilities of Britain for pharmaceutical study. The particular root also known as "stoneroot" or "horse balm" was said to be so hard it would break a steel mill of the era.

People noted that the bruised leaves of the stoneroot plant had the effect of loosening phlegm, boosting lymph and blood circulation, and easing "congestion of the portal system" which was known to cause hemorrhoids in some cases.

Modern homeopaths rely on dilute extracts of collinsonia to treat chronically constipated people who suffer itchy hemorrhoids.

There isn't much published scientific data on stoneroot's effectiveness in treating hemorrhoids, but it has been used for centuries in folk medicine, with generally positive reports. In fact, another name for the plant is "heal-all." Check with an herbalist or homeopathic practitioner for more information.